I got another call asking for money a few minutes ago, and I just couldn't take it any longer. I gave a brief, and somewhat heated, reply to the lady on the phone saying (roughly): Look, I don't have any money to give you because all our money goes to paying for therapy for our son and massive co-insurance for our daughter's durable medical equipment. And don't tell me how the Republicans are working to defeat healthcare reform because the Democrats have the majority in both houses plus the White House. If healthcare reform fails, it will be because the Democrats screwed it up.
But then, I got to thinking that she was probably some paid fund-raiser with no real contact with the DCCC, so I decided to provide them some feedback, too.
Dear Chairman Van Hollen and DCCC staff,
I am a lifelong Democrat and have both volunteered for and contributed to the DCCC and to state and national level campaigns, most recently helping to elect Rep. Gerry Connolly and Sens. Warner and Webb in my area. However, I just hung up on a DCCC phone solicitor for the first time.
I want to repeat to you what I said to her and expand on it a bit. Yes, Republicans are working to defeat healthcare reform, but they should be powerless to do so if you, the Democrats, were doing what we elected you to do. Democrats hold the WH, and a commanding majority in both the House and Senate. People like me sacrificed money we couldn't afford and valuable hours of our time to make that happen. Now, we are watching the so-called 'Blue Dog' Democrats and Senators like Warner and Baucus sell us out in exchange for piles of money from the healthcare industry.
If meaningful healthcare reform is defeated and a useless mandate to buy junk insurance from the predatory for-profit health insurance companies is what passes into law---it will be because of the Democrats, not the Republicans! In the past, you asked for my money and my time to gain control of this government. I gave both in the hope and expectation that you would bring us change and break the stranglehold of lobbyists in D.C. So far, you have failed, and I will not support failure and betrayal.
Right now, I cannot afford to give any money because my children's healthcare bills have put us in debt and crippled our family financialy--and we are supposedly insured by one of the giant corporations that are clearly pulling the strings in this Congress. However, if I could afford more contributions, I would have to be insane or criminally stupid to give you one more cent or second until you use the power that you have to actually help the American people. We need real healthcare reform, and we need it now. Give us a robust, competitive public option insurance plan that is open to all Americans immediately. Pass a law that means Americans like me and my family don't have to worry every day about medical bills, loss of insurance coverage, and denial of care. Until that happens, you can expect nothing more from me and millions of people like me.
Most sincerely,